War Times Preview

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Strategy First and Legend look to bring another strategic winner out of World War II.

By Jeff Haynes

The year is 1939 and a newly militarized Germany has started to flex its muscle by annexing Poland under a series of lightning strikes. In response, France and Great Britain declare war upon Germany and its Nazi regime, bracing themselves for the impending global conflict. Six years later, numerous countries would lie in ruins and countless lives would be forever changed. Aside from the quick history lesson, this backdrop of World War II is the setting for Legend Studios and Strategy First's latest Real Time Strategy game, War Times.

I know what you're probably saying to yourself: here's another gather resources/base construction/tank rush strategy title. True, you'll find these elements within this game (just like all other RTS titles), but the way in which they're handled places a unique spin on War Times' gameplay. First of all, unlike some games, there are two separate resources that field generals need to be aware of: Mineral Ore and Oil. Minerals provide the materials to construct buildings and recruit soldiers, while Oil can be used for upgrades of existing weaponry and development of newer arms. Needless to say, you'll have to strike a proper balance between constructing new structures and soldiers and upgrading pre-existing equipment to consistently handle new threats. Overall, there are more than 80 unique units and 70 unique structures between the U.S., U.S.S.R., German and Great Britain sides within the game.

However, simply because there's a lot of potential units or buildings to place on the battlefield doesn't mean that players will continually have to worry about fending off waves of tank rush tactics. War Times practically eliminates these maneuvers in three ways. First of all, tanks, planes or other highly destructive or specialized units take a lot of time to research and produce. This time delay comes across not as a limit of the game, but simply of the production methods found during the 1930s and 40s for this equipment and imparts a great sense of suspense during pitched battles. Secondly, producing these high-powered weapons takes up a ton of resources, forcing you to either continually build supply stores at your base or field a severely limited attack force. Finally, just because you've constructed a number of tanks doesn't mean you'll roll over a base. Defensive structures, enemy units and even large squads of foot soldiers can wear down any squad haphazardly thrown at them.

War Times also places a premium on the strengths and weaknesses of terrain warfare. Elevated positions receive attack bonuses against units that are below them, allowing even lightly defended bases on hills an opportunity to withstand waves of incoming attacks. What's more, weather and different terrain types can affect the movement rate or effectiveness of some units. For instance, forests can completely hide infantrymen, giving them the opportunity to perform quick ambushes, while snow or mountainous regions will often drag mechanized divisions to a grinding halt.

Some of these effects can be augmented based upon the particular side chosen during gameplay. For instance, the USSR specializes in amphibious units, allowing them to cross numerous streams and areas of water quickly and quietly. Britain's radar systems, when combined with hilly terrain, pinpoints enemies easily, giving the royal troops plenty of time to mount a substantial defense. The U.S. units find most of their strength coming from their bomber corps and their planes, settling many battles in the skies, while the Germans prefer to pound out victories on the ground.

Aside from the Campaign mode, which will focus solely on either the Axis or Allied assaults from a number of historical battles throughout World War II, War Times will include more than 20 skirmish maps for the four sides to fight over. Ranging from island and forest maps to arctic landscapes, there will be plenty of areas for players to fight over. This doesn't count the missions created by the included map editor, allowing designers to create their own levels and operations. Plus, there are three included multiplayer modes: Melee, Total Victory and Protect the General. Melee and Total Victory modes simply require players to eliminate all enemy players to be victorious, while Protect the General handles victory somewhat differently. Providing each side with a token general, who doesn't seem to impart any bonuses or special abilities, players need to eliminate rival generals while protecting their own from death.

Speaking of death, you'll see quite a bit of it dished out in a number of ways within War Times. Whether it's the designer's intent to prove that war is hell or not, players will probably see quite a bit of destruction. Troops will get mowed down before guard towers. Infantry can be torched by flamethrowers or blown up by grenades. Buildings or vehicles will explode in a shower of fragments. It won't be uncommon to see the battlefield littered with bodies during failed sieges of bases or after a wide scale aerial assault. Digital carnage aside, War Times looks like it'll be an interesting twist on the RTS genre when it ships this week, so check back soon for a full review.